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The FEEL Lab ( ​ https://go.unimelb.edu.au/j496 ​ ) is offering a 3-year PhD scholarship for a research project entitled ​ Emotion Dynamics and Well-Being ​ , funded by an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship awarded to Dr Peter Koval.
Stipend: ​ 30,000 AUD per annum / Start date: ​ 1-June-2019 / Application deadline: 5-April-2019
SUMMARY: ​ This PhD project explores the link between patterns of moment-to-moment emotional fluctuations ( ​ emotion dynamics ​ ) and psychological well-being by applying cutting-edge statistical modeling to data on people’s daily emotional experiences, captured using smartphones.
BACKGROUND: ​ Emotions are fundamentally dynamical processes and recent research has shown that individual differences in emotion dynamics are associated with psychological well-being and functioning. However, it remains unclear which specific patterns of emotion dynamics are healthy versus unhealthy, and in which contexts. For instance, emotional flexibility and emotional stability have both been linked with better psychological functioning, yet they appear to be opposite patterns of emotion dynamics.
PROJECT DETAILS: ​ The successful PhD student will conduct research investigating the association between emotion dynamics and well-being using several existing large-scale ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies on daily emotional functioning in diverse populations (e.g., university students, general community adults, employees in organizations, carers of young people with serious mental illness). In addition, the PhD student will contribute to the planning and collection of two new studies, combining EMA and lab methods, to further explore how patterns of emotion dynamics are related to well-being in various contexts. The project will apply advanced statistical techniques for the analysis of intensive longitudinal data (e.g., multilevel time series models). The PhD student is expected to develop a range of highly specialised substantive, methodological and statistical skills.
RESEARCH CONTEXT: This PhD student will be supervised by Dr Peter Koval and will work in the ​ FEEL Lab ​ , co-directed by Dr Katie Greenaway and Dr Peter Koval, comprising a large team of undergraduate and graduate students conducting research on various aspects of emotional functioning and emotion regulation. The FEEL Lab is embedded within the ​ Ethics and Wellbeing Hub ​ , a broader network of researchers across the University with interests in “the science of acting well and feeling well”, including several leading international scholars.
The Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences is a large, vibrant, research-focused school, comprising over 70 academic staff, 100 honorary staff and 150 PhD students. The research program within the Melbourne School of Psychological Science is broad, with particular strengths in social/personality and quantitative psychology. The University of Melbourne is Australia’s top-ranked university and is ranked 32nd in the world (Times Higher Education 2018 World Rankings).
APPLICANT: We are seeking an outstanding student with an interest in emotion and well-being and a demonstrated aptitude and enthusiasm for learning and applying advanced quantitative methods for the analysis of intensive longitudinal data (e.g., multilevel time series and structural equation models).
Essential selection criteria
Minimum 4-year undergraduate or graduate (masters) degree in psychology or a cognate discipline (e.g., economics, engineering, computer science, physics) with a substantial research component of at least 25% of one year full-time study
Achievement of a minimum weighted average grade of 80% (or equivalent) throughout previous undergraduate / graduate studies
High-level working proficiency in English, commensurate with the University’s Graduate English Language requirements (see ​ http://go.unimelb.edu.au/xxy6 ​ )
Demonstrated passion and curiosity for research, eagerness to learn, and willingness to explore advanced statistical methods for intensive longitudinal data (e.g., multilevel modeling)
High-level organizational and time-management skills, ability to meet tight deadlines
Collaborative, respectful and flexible approach to working in a research team
Commitment to become an active member of the FEEL Lab and willingness to participate in
regular lab meetings, research seminars, colloquia and workshops
Willingness to travel internationally for conferences and other research-related activities
Desirable selection criteria
Experience with EMA (aka ​ experience sampling ) ​ research, especially on emotion
Experience with multilevel or structural equation modeling and/or experience using Mplus
Experience in conducting longitudinal research and/or recruiting non-student samples
HOW TO APPLY: please send an email to ​feelresearchlab@gmail.com​ with the subject “DECRA PhD application”. Please include all of the following as a single PDF attachment:
Cover-letter (max. 1 page) addressing the selection criteria outlined above
Current CV (max. 1 page) outlining your educational background and details of any research publications (if relevant) as well as work experience relevant to the PhD project
Copies of all university academic transcripts including an explanation of your university’s grading scheme with equivalent numeric scores (e.g., A+ = 90%)
Names and contact details (email & phone) of two academic referees who can testify to your relevant skills and abilities
The deadline for applications is 5:00pm on Friday, 5 April (AEDT)